Fresh Tomato Sauce

/

This is the best tomato sauce I’ve ever had.  And it’s so easy to make!  It is from the book “The Art of Simple Food” by the amazing Alice Waters, with my own modifications. I couldn’t be happier to bring this to you:

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 5 large garlic cloves
  •  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt

Preparation

Quartered the tomatoes and remove the seeds; save any tomato juice that comes out while you are taking the seeds out, maybe do this over a bowl.

Dice the tomatoes with skin still on.

Add any tomato juice saved to the diced tomatoes.

Take a wooden spoon and smash the garlic cloves.  You can them peel them and chop them up. 

Heat the ¼ cup of olive oil.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic. 

When the garlic gets fragrant (do not let them get brown), add the tomatoes and their juice. 

Add a pinch of salt.  Simmer for 15 minutes turning with the spoon every once in a while.  

Taste the sauce.  Add salt and pepper if you think it’s missing.  Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it helps you live a better life.  I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below.  If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends and family!

Lots of love,

Judith

About Tomatoes:

  • Come in over a thousand different varieties that vary in shape, size, and color.
  • Did you know that tomatoes are actually fruits in a botanical sense!?  Despite this, they don't have the dessert quality sweetness of other fruits
  • Often closely associated with Italian cuisine, yet they are actually native to South America 

Nutritional Profile:

  • Phytonutrients (carotenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and fatty acid derivatives)
  • Vitamin C
  • Biotin
  • Molybdenum
  • Vitamin K
  • Copper
  • Potassium
  • Manganese
  • Dietary fiber
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B6
  • Folate
  • Niacin
  • Vitamin E
  • Phosphorus
  • Chromium
  • Pantothenic acid
  • Protein
  • Choline
  • Zinc
  • Iron

Health Benefits:

  • Cardiovascular Support
  • Supports Bone Health
  • Anti-Cancer Benefits

Selection and Storage:

  • Choose tomatoes that have rich colors.  Tomatoes of all colors provide outstanding nutrient benefits.  
  • Should be well shaped and smooth skinned with no wrinkles, cracks, bruises, or soft spots.  
  • Ripe tomatoes will yield to slight pressure and will have a noticeably sweet fragrance.
  • Store them at room temperature and out of direct exposure to sunlight
  • Whole tomatoes, chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce freeze well for future use

Concerns:

• Canned tomatoes - There is a concern due to the presence of BPA (bisphenol A) which is often added to the vinyl lining of numerous canned foods. This is even more problematic with tomatoes due to their acidity, which increases the rate at which BPA enters food. From a health perspective, BPA is known to be an endocrine disruptor (can negatively affect estrogen metabolism). For optimal safety, look for cans that say BPA free or purchase tomato based products in a glass jar.

• Pesticides - According to EWG’s 2016 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce,” conventionally grown tomatoes are among the top 12 fruits and vegetables on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. Individuals wanting to avoid pesticide-associated health risks may want consume those grown organically.

In collaboration with Soul Food Salon, each week we will feature a delicious and seasonal ingredient (recipe + some interesting wellness facts). Please share pictures of your meals on Instagram using the hashtag #SoulFoodSalon and follow us at @JudithDuval and @SoulFoodSalon. We can’t wait to cook with you!